Locker Posters: Should They be Allowed?
Cover image is the locker poster that was removed from Xander Pearson’s locker.
Xander Pearson
A few weeks ago, I posted a poster on my locker. It read, “A student was SUSPENDED for taking down a Club America poster. That punishment was excessive.” I came back to my locker the following day to find the poster missing, so I posted a new one. That day, I was called down to the office. Mr. Bauer had a conversation with me in which he encouraged me not to post posters on my locker, and to find alternative methods of expressing my opinions (such as the Charger Press). At first, I thought that that was a reasonable request. However, after some deliberation, I have come to change my mind. Last Tuesday, Mr. Bauer released an email saying that students may not post posters without approval. I think that this is wrong. Students should reserve the right to post custom posters on their lockers.
Why should students be allowed to post locker posters?
It is important for people to be able to express themselves to a wide audience. Posters constitute a medium through which students can send a message in such a way. Students who take the time to design and print a poster clearly have something they feel is important to say. Writing a Charger Press article can allow a student to reach a decent few people, but a poster posted on a locker in a high-traffic area—or especially multiple posters if a group of friends bands together—is likely to also reach a broad audience and send a strong message. I don’t think that such an opportunity should be closed without good reason.
Why shouldn’t locker posters be banned?
The First Amendment protects the rights of students to freedom of speech and expression. Custom posters are a clear-cut example of protected speech, so I believe that the school preventing it may be a violation of the First Amendment.
The Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines upholds that freedom of speech cannot be stifled in schools unless it “is necessary to avoid substantial interference with school discipline or the rights of others.” A poster does not hinder the enactment of school discipline, nor does it infringe on the rights of others in any way. Thus, custom locker posters should be allowed.
Contradiction in standards?
One may rebut by saying that lockers are school property, so the school retains the right to control what students put on their lockers. Even if this is true, I believe it would be rather arbitrary to allow students to put certain things on their lockers, but disallow other things. In fact, it may be unconstitutional to make such a distinction—the government (of which the school is an extension) can’t enforce rules differently based on the content of speech, and I’d argue that any decoration a student puts on a locker constitutes speech. Thus, the school must either allow locker posters or ban all locker decorations.
Additionally, locker decs now aren’t the same as an opinionated poster, but it’s possible for them to become something similar. Mr. Bauer has said that the school can not discriminate against clubs based on political affiliation. Thus, the school would allow for the creation of politically-affiliated clubs. Those clubs would have locker decorations. A locker decoration signifying participation in a politically-affiliated club would indicate having certain opinions. Thus, the school would allow for people to express their opinions through locker decorations. To my knowledge, such decorations are not subject to an approval process, so clubs are free to allow their members to express their opinions without specific approval. I feel that it would be arbitrary to limit the expression of opinions based on club affiliation, so custom posters should be allowed on lockers.
Couldn’t locker posters be problematic?
Not if we hold them to a certain standard. Generally, posters are not disruptive to the learning environment. Posters that hang on lockers may attract attention during passing time, but can’t distract anyone while they’re learning in classrooms. They may spark conversations that may occur during class time, but it is the responsibility of students to not converse inappropriately during class.
Addressing my poster specifically, it doesn’t create a hostile atmosphere for students. It speaks against a decision the administration made, which I couldn’t see making any students feel unsafe or unwelcome. In fact, my poster may do the opposite—it stands up for a student who I feel was (to an extent) wronged.
My poster doesn’t just give my opinion—it encourages productive conversation. As opposed to just saying “I don’t like the school administration” or something along those lines, my poster gives some information about a specific incident that could spark people’s interest in learning more. For instance, during the short time my poster was up, someone in my friend group noticed it and posted it to our group chat asking for more information.
So long as we hold locker posters to the standards of not being disruptive, hostile, or mindless, I don’t foresee them being problematic in the slightest.
Regardless of whether or not you agree with the content of my poster, students should be allowed to post custom posters on their lockers. Students have a right to an audience. Banning locker posters could be contradictory. If we have certain standards, posters could encourage productive conversation instead of creating a hostile learning environment. Even if you don’t think students should post custom posters, do you really think they should be disallowed from doing so? If you agree that students should have this right, feel free to send Mr. Bauer a kindly-worded email to let him know what you think.
